There’s good news and bad news for Fortnite fans, as a new season of content is on the horizon, but only after a period of server downtime.
UPDATE: Fortnite is offline for server maintenance ahead of the release of Chapter 6, Season 2.
With the game offline for maintenance, fans are encouraged to download and install update 34.00, which comes with a new Battle Pass.
The Battle Pass skins are named Cassidy Quinn, Joss, Fletcher Kane, Valentina, Big Dill, Keisha Cross and Sub-Zero. Outlaw Midas will be unlockable later this season.
New locations include Crime City, which is home to Hostile Hotel, Wise Guys Bookstore, and the Launder Mat. Other POIs include Outlaw Oasis, Shiny Shafts and Lonewolf Lair.
The game is expected to be offline until around 10am at the earliest.
ORIGINAL: Fortnite servers are about to be taken offline by Epic Games for the the launch of Chapter 6, Season 2.
Fortnite update 34.00 is coming to PS5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch and Android on February 21.
The new content won’t be available until server maintenance comes to an end, although downtime will last longer than usual.
Fortnite will be taken offline at 7am GMT UK time, while matchmaking is disabled shortly beforehand. This means you’ll need to join a game before 6.30am if you want to play one last game before maintenance.
The news was announced by Epic Games on X (formerly Twitter), alongside a confirmation of the downtime.
“Welcome to Crime City! Downtime for v34.00 begins at 2 AM ET with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand.”
For UK fans, this means that Fortnite will be taken offline in full at 7am GMT, while matchmaking will be disabled at 6.30am UK time.
Epic hasn’t revealed exactly when downtime will come to an end, but maintenance for a new season typically lasts for 3-4 hours.
This means Fortnite and all companion game modes should be back online from 10am GMT UK time at the earliest.
The extended downtime makes it slightly harder to predict, so keep checking back for confirmation about the Fortnite server maintenance.
In terms of new content, the upcoming season introduces the Crime City map.
New POIs include an underground goldmine, bank vaults, a Baron’s Mansion and a train that’s perfect for heisting.
The Battle Pass includes a new Midas variant, as well as Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Scorpion is expected to join the item shop at a later date.
Elsewhere, fans will be able to rob Money Vans and vaults, while the Rocket Drill can be used to break down walls.
Daily Express will update this article with all the latest information when downtime begins on February 21, so keep checking back for more information.
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By Liam Martin 21 February 2025
